r/StrategyGames • u/wizzard_rick • 7h ago
DevPost I rebuilt my strategy game’s map graphics — here are the same regions before, after, and compared with real terrain
galleryI’ve spent the last few weeks rebuilding the world map for Salt & Soil, my generational strategy game. The goal wasn’t simply to make it prettier: mountain ranges, rivers, settlements, roads, and labels all needed to remain readable because geography directly shapes the player’s long-term decisions.
I previously shared parts of the procedural terrain pipeline on r/proceduralgeneration. After a lot of experimentation, I’m finally happy enough with the result to show the full comparison.
Each slide uses the same region and scale in the old and new styles. For the Sacramento area, I’ve also included the corresponding real-world terrain, rotated and scaled to match the in-game view as closely as possible. The game map isn’t meant to reproduce every detail, but major valleys, mountain ranges, coastlines, and settlement locations should feel recognizable.
The next public playtest is planned for September, and it will feature a completely different scenario from the previous one. There may be a few clues hidden in these maps—any guesses about when and where it takes place?
I’d also love to hear which version communicates the important strategic geography more clearly, especially at a glance.